The Anime Nuts of Sakura

Sakura is the Japanese word for Cherry Blossoms. They are pretty trees and are all over Japan (and Washington DC!). Every year, all Japanese celebrate Cherry Blossom festival by visiting their local Cherry Blossom tree and having picnics and partaking in other cultural events. Here in America, we have adopted this fun-time. In Washington DC, the end of March and beginning of April is a great time to experience the pretty trees surrounding the Tidal Basin and get great shots of the trees there. Unlike last year, Lindsay and I were unable to make it, so instead we went to the Japanese Cherry Blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens here in New York. It was fun! Here’s why:

Apparently, the Cherry Blossom festival in New York City is just another way to show your nerdiness and love for all things Japan, and by all things, I mean anime and manga. Look, I like a good over-stylized, animated feature as much as the next guy, but even what I saw on display at a Brooklyn Cherry Blossom festival (remember, a celebration about trees), was a bit mind-blowing. Here are a few snapshots of a few people who took the Japanese in Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival a bit too far: